Regional magazine cover analysis: Cornish magazines

The prime purpose of Regional Magazines is to advertise the region and it's items of interests to a broader target audience than those who already reside in that particular region. In Terms of Cornish magazines the target audience is largely made up of tourists from the rest of the United Kingdom. Cornish magazines usually contain features to inform new-comers about the various attractions, locations and events available in the county, these features are provided by both the magazine's writers and paid for by the various establishments as a way advertising their businesses. The nature of Cornish magazines allow them to be accessible and understood by all, making for a huge possible readership/ target audience.

The Cornish beach featured on the cover page of Cornwall Today is an idealised view of a Cornish setting. The colour scheme connotes that Cornwall is tranquil, calm and relaxing. The use of only the two colours in this picture makes this beach seem almost surreal in it's beauty. The simplicity of the palette used could reflect an idealist view of a 'simple life'. The inclusion of the dog walker connotes that Cornwall is a dog friendly area, it also could suggest Cornish residents hold a renown for owning dogs and therefore creates an unrealistic stereotype as in reality the majority of people living in Cornwall are forced to claim benefits. This also points towards the idea held by some that most Cornish people drive 4x4's and work in the farming industry, which is also largely untrue.
The vast majority of the text featured on this cover is present to attract tourists (Which is only logical seeing as Cornwall's main source of income is derived from visitors to the county) for instance the Royal Cornwall Show is a huge attraction for people on holiday in Cornwall, and a big deal to the locals meaning it's likely that holiday makers and natives alike will want to read this particular article. It's clear from the use of language on this cover that the magazine is aimed towards tourists with dogs, and perhaps not Cornish residents. The font used is bold, and both bright and dark in order to stand out on top of the main image. The font's colours are derived from the image itself, this works well to create consistency with each element included on the cover. The masthead and tag line are both presented in a different font in order to differ from that used for the other text and provide a sense of importance which is especially important when sitting on a news agent's shelf as the masthead can be seen from a distance due to it's white on black composition.

Cornwall Life presents us with a stereotypical view of Cornwall. The ruined tin mine and the coastal surroundings bathing in sunlight is an age old symbol of the Cornish countryside that is recognised nationwide, making this an ideal image for the front cover of a magazine aimed at tourists.
The colours used for the font on this cover are consistent with the main image, all of the text featured here is white which contrasts with the various other colours used on the page. The text at the start of each feature is bold and bright in order to draw the eye to the smaller text presented below.
Similar to Cornwall Today, the masthead for Cornwall Life is presented in a more refined and elegant font compared to the rest of the text. The masthead acts as a banner that spans the width of the page and stands out against the main image in the background and will therefore be. The tag line again is typed in a separate font that is much smaller than that of the masthead, this is understandable seeing as it provides no important information.
This cover makes use of a colour that is not included on the main image, the pink elements on the page help to add to the wide variety of colour featured on the front of the magazine, however they do draw the reader's eye away from the text and main image. This choice of colour could point towards the idea that this issue, or the magazine as a whole is directed more towards a female readership.
The main image and previews featured on this front cover connote that Cornwall Life is geared towards the older generations, it seems likely that readers over 40 with families will likely be interested in 'Woods, Walks and Apples'.  The inclusion of sports news is an attempt to appeal to it's younger audience, this connotes that the magazine is trying to offer something for everyone in one place which is what I wish to accomplish in my own product.

myCornwall magazine take an entirely different approach to the two previous publications. The cover image here is graphic, which opposes the convention of using a photograph. There are certain advantages of using art work instead of a real picture that are displayed here, for instance the patchwork of Cornish landmarks gives the reader a broader image that contains more information about what they'll be reading inside than a single photograph would. The graphic style is sharp and bold, this means the magazine will easily stand out on a shelf and will likely appeal to a wide audience because of it's simplicity. This readership could include individuals from any age group and of any sex as there is nothing to connote who should be reading the magazine judging by the image.
Despite the image's lack of reality, many natural primary colours are used in conjunction with each other in order to differentiate itself from other magazines of it's kind, the bright orange used for the text draws the reader's eye expertly via the use of contrasting colours.
The large simplistic font used for the entirety of the text featured on the page also helps to enable the information to stand out over the main background image.
The features imply that the magazine is aimed at the elderly, mentions of knitting, history and quaint villages insinuate that this is the desired target audience. However the fact that this is a 'Festive Issue' may explain the chosen subject matter.
The masthead utilises a dark green colour that makes it stand out above all other aspects of this particular cover. This dark on light arrangement makes it easy to see while the magazine is sitting on a shop's shelf, therefore drawing the customer's eye to it's bright imagery.